Anxiety grows among northeast Ohioans as winter lingers

PAINESVILLE, Ohio - What a difference a year makes.

Sunshine, picnics, fishing and jogging in the parks were all obvious signs of spring in 2012 for northeast Ohio. This year, everyone has been watching the weather wishing spring would finally show to stay.

"It doesn't seem right because it doesn't seem right at the end of March. It should be 50, 60 degrees and I should be outside working doing stuff making money; now I'm just sitting around the house cleaning the house, doing nothing," said roofer Ryan Novitsky.

Novitsky said the snow is getting in the way of their production.

"You can't shingle when there's snow on the roof. I mean, you got to work with the weather. Usually this time of the year I'd be working right now," he said. "It was 84 degrees today last year."

"It was a nice day I worked 14 hours that day sun up to sun down," he said.

The city of Painesville and the Community Improvement Corporation prepared all day for this year's Easter egg hunt despite the weather.

"We always plan for any weather so this doesn't shock us. We've had the egg hunt in the snow before and other communities have canceled. We advertise it rain or snow," said Painseville recreation coordinator Chris Mackar.

They have thousands of eggs all ready to go out to local children. They expect about 300 or more to show up.

"We're going to place the eggs on top of the snow then go from there. Hopefully, it'll be good enough weather. We don't want any snow coming down during the event," Mackar said.

As for local student Breanna Hamilton, who has braved the cold all winter at work, money is her motivation.

"It's Mother Nature, however, she plays it, I play along too. Got to make money somehow," Hamilton said. "I'm a college kid."